Man on Everett Road fence stalls rush hour traffic

ALBANY, NY. – Traffic on Interstate 90 was stalled for nearly two hours during morning rush hour as police talked a man down from the Everett Road overpass. NEWS10 ABC has blurred his face in the picture and video to protect his identity.

Albany Police Spokesperson Steve Smith says they got a call from a passerby around 8:00 a.m. saying there was a shirtless man sitting on top of the overpass and leaning toward the road. For r 45 minute's police worked to coax the man down.

Smith says after receiving that call law enforcement acted immediately stopping vehicles on Interstate 90 and Everett road as members of their crises management team worked with the man.

For an hour and a half during the middle of rush hour hundreds of vehicles waited and witnesses as specialist tried to help the man.

Smith says the man was “distraught” speaking about issues with his family. Smith says he's glad specialists were able to get him down safely.

“They are trained to deal with people in crises and they talked to him. They had members of the crises team fro capital district psychiatrist center come over, they already have a relationship with him and convince him to come down and take him to the hospital,” Smith said.